Mendall Abeurador Cuvee 2 2018

Abeurador Cuvee 2 is 100% Macabeo from Laureano Serres's vineyards in the Terra Alta DO, southwest of Tarragona. The vines grow on clay, limestone, and sandy soils at roughly 450 meters above sea level in El Pinell de Brai. This specific bottling was fermented in amphora, a departure from the stainless steel used for the base Abeurador, and aged on lees before bottling without filtration or fining.

No sulfites are added at any stage. Native yeasts drive fermentation from start to finish. The 2018 vintage was tasted and scored 93 points, and the amphora vessel lends the wine a rounder, more textured character than the steel-tank version while preserving its mineral core.

Macabeo from Terra Alta at this elevation retains more acidity than the same grape grown lower in the appellation. The combination of chalky limestone soils, the dry Cierzo wind off the Ebro valley, and amphora aging produces a wine with preserved lemon, earthy spice, and a lightly savoury finish. Expect some volatile character and complexity typical of Mendall's zero-addition approach.

Laureano farms approximately five to six hectares across Terra Alta, with yields around 20 hl/ha. His daughter Alicia Serres now works alongside him in the cellar.